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Alcázar
A World Heritage monument, the Alcázar is Seville's Alhambra, smaller but just as beautiful.
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Antigua Fábrica de Tabacos
It may be part of the Universidad de Sevilla (Seville University) now, but the massive old tobacco factory used to be the cornerstone of the city's economy. The workplace of Bizet's operatic heroine Carmen was built in the 18th century and fed the nation's nicotine addiction right up until the mid-20th century.
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Ayuntamiento
With a lively history as a market square in Muslim times and then the prime spot for Inquisition burnings, Plaza de San Francisco has been Seville's main public square since the 16th century. The southern end of the Ayuntamiento here is encrusted with lovely Renaissance carving from the 1520s and '30s.
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Bullring
Seville's Bullring is one of the most handsome in Spain and probably the oldest (building began in 1758). It was here, and in the ring at Ronda, that bullfighting on foot (instead of horseback) began in the 18th century. Interesting guided visits, in English and Spanish, take you into the ring and its museum, with a peep into the minihospital for bullfighters who have come off second best.
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Capilla de San Antonio
The sheer size of the broad, five-naved cathedral is obscured by a welter of interior decoration typical of Spanish cathedrals. The chapels along the northern and southern sides are as rich in sculpture, stained glass and painting as any church chapels in Spain. Near the western end of the northern side is the Capilla de San Antonio, with Murillo's large 1666 canvas depicting the vision of St Anthony of Padua; thieves excised the kneeling saint in 1874 but he was found in New York and put back.
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Capilla de San José
Pedestrianised Calle Sierpes, heading north from the plaza, and the parallel Calle Tetuán/Velázquez, are the hub of Seville's fanciest shopping zone. Between the two streets is the 18th-century Capilla de San José, with breathtakingly intense baroque ornamentation.
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Capilla Mayor
Towards the east end of the main nave of the Cathedral is the Capilla Mayor, whose Gothic altarpiece is the jewel of the cathedral and reckoned to be the biggest altarpiece in the world. Begun by Flemish sculptor Pieter Dancart in 1482 and completed by others by 1564, this sea of gilded and polychromed wood holds more than 1000 carved biblical figures. At the centre of the lowest level is the 13th-century image of the Virgen de la Sede, patron of the cathedral.
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Casa de Pilatos
The finest of Seville's noble mansions and still occupied by the ducal Medinaceli family, the Casa de Pilatos is a mixture of Mudejar, Gothic and Renaissance architecture and decoration. With some beautiful tilework and artesonado ceilings, the overall effect is similar to that of the Alcázar.
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Cathedral
After Seville fell to the Christians in 1248 its main mosque was used as a church until 1401 when, in view of its decaying state, the church authorities decided to knock it down and start again. 'Let us create such a building that future generations will take us for lunatics', they reputedly agreed.
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Conjunto Monumental de la Cartuja
Founded in 1399, the Conjunto Monumental de la Cartuja became the favourite Sevillan lodging place for Columbus, King Felipe II and other luminaries. Columbus' remains lay here from 1509 to 1536. Over the centuries benefactors endowed the monastery with a rich collection of Sevillan art, but in 1836 the monks were expelled during the Disentailment (when church property was auctioned off by the state).
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Hospital de la Caridad
A marvellous sample of Sevillan golden-age art adorns the church in this charity hospice, the Hospital de la Caridad, a block from the river. The hospital was founded in the 17th century by Miguel de Mañara, by legend a notorious libertine who changed his ways after experiencing a vision of his own funeral procession.
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Hospital de los Venerables Sacerdotes
The 17th-century Hospital de los Venerables Sacerdotes was a residence for aged priests. You can visit the lovely central courtyard, several exhibition rooms, and the church with murals by Valdés Leal and fine sculptures by Pedro Roldán.
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Judería
Seville's medieval Judería, east of the cathedral and Alcázar, is today a tangle of quaint, winding streets and lovely plant-decked plazas perfumed with orange blossom. It's tourist central, but still a vital part of the city and one that's remarkably easy and pleasant to wander.
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Palacio de Don Pedro
Whatever else Pedro I may have done, posterity owes him a big thank you for building this wonderful palace inside the Alcázar in the 1360s. His Muslim ally Mohammed V of Granada, the man responsible for the Alhambra's fabulous Palacio de los Leones, sent along many of his best artisans to help. These were joined by others from Toledo and Seville, and their work, drawing on the traditions of the Almohads and caliphal Córdoba, is a unique synthesis of Iberian Islamic art.
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Palacio de la Condesa de Lebrija
The Palacio de la Condesa de Lebrija, a block east of Calle Sierpes, is a 16th-century noble mansion remodelled in 1914 by Doña Regla Manjón, Countess of Lebrija - one of those lucky aristocratic travelling archaeologists. The countess filled the house with her rich collection of art and artisanry and treasures from her travels. There are plenty of remains from Roman Itálica, including a marvellous mosaic in the lovely central courtyard. Upstairs are Arabic, baroque and Spanish rooms.
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Parroquia del Divino Salvador
The Plaza Salvador, which has a few popular bars, was once the forum of Roman Hispalis. It's dominated by the Parroquia del Salvador, a big baroque church built between 1674 and 1712 on the site of Muslim Ishbiliya's main mosque. Before the mosque, early Christian churches stood here, and before them, a Roman temple.
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Patio del León
The Patio del León was the garrison yard of the Al-Muwarak palace. Off here, the Sala de la Justicia (Hall of Justice), with beautiful Mudéjar plasterwork, was built in the 1340s by Alfonso XI, who disported here with his mistress Leonor de Guzmán.
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Plaza de América
On Plaza de América, at the southern end of Parque de María Luisa, is a large flock of white doves (they'll clamber all over you if you buy an around €2 bag of seed from vendors) and two interesting museums, the big Museo Arqueológico and the Museo de Artes y Costumbres Populares.
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Plaza de España
Plaza de España, a rather isolated and relaxing spot with its fountains and mini-canals, faces the northeastern side of Parque de María Luisa across Avenida de Isabel la Católica. Curving round the plaza is the most grandiose of the 1929 Exposición buildings, a brick-and-tile confection featuring Seville tilework at its gaudiest, with a map and historical scene for each Spanish province - all designed by the leading Iberoamericana architect, Sevillan Aníbal González.
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Plaza de Toros de la Real Maestranza
This may be your once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience the grand theatre of bullfighting at its highest level. Seville's bullring is among Spain's best, oldest and most elegant. If you decide to go, aim for the high-season (late July-early June) when the best matadors are working their craft.
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Sacristía Mayor
The large domed Sacristía Mayor is a Plateresque creation of 1528-47: the arch over its portal has carvings of 16th-century foods. The room's centrepiece is the Custodia de Juan de Arfe, a huge 475kg silver monstrance made in the 1580s by Renaissance metalsmith Juan de Arfe. In a glass case are the city keys handed to the conquering Fernando III in 1248.
Showing 1-21 of 21 results
